Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-04-15


did so he never could satisfactorily.
explain. Then, as he sat there on the
bed. looking around upont the tidy dis.
order, it came across his mind what
was the cause OF Armies confusion
and distress, for astute as mankind is
generally i believed to be, he could
dimly imagine that no little woman as
neat as Annie could endure to have
her castle caught IN such confusion
Perhaps had it been the detectiv,
alone she would not have cared, and
then John smiled complacentlv to
himself. 1t was her neat fitting dress
and dainty linen collars, ard always
spotless white aprons that had first
attracted Johns attention, and then
it was the pretty face, with it's pleas.
ant smile and independent eyes that
had Increased that interest, until Is
had eliminated in his Rpeanly pocket
ing her red stockings. ~
At last the detective gave up in de-
spair.
"she never had them at ALL" re.
piled John calmly.
"Then what made her act $50 guilty?"
questioned the other, almost believing
himself in her. innocence.
"Don't know answered John laconlc-
ally. When they returned to the fac
tory there was quite confusion and
hub-bub, tor the jewels had been found
by another detective employed by
Dingus, in, the possession of noto-
rious pickpocket, who, disguised as a
woman, had slipped into the store
with the crowd offactory girls. Every
body was glad and congratulated
Annie-even the smart detective did,
although he could not help wishing
she had been SO considerate as to as
sist him to gain that reward. But
Annie could not look John straight in
the face. Poor child! what feelings
would have been hers had she known
the enormous bulge in Johns jacket
pocket was caused by her very identi-
cal red stockings laid out to air that
morning? John, of whom she had new
er dreant as other than "Mr. Dart, I"
even though she worked faster when
he came her way, and perhaps felt
more anxiety about the smooth mass
SEES Of light brown hair than at any
other time?
Well, when the two officers had gone,
and all had settled to work again,
John came to Annie's chair and said
kindly:
"Miss Annie, that detective turned
everything in your room in such awful
confusion it will take you all day to
straighten it up again, so if you like, I
have gotten permission for you to
take the remainder of the day, and no
reduction to be made.
"Thnnk you--you are very kind, I"
she murmured, but she would not
look ct him and seemed so confused
that big, good.natured John turned
away i'll pure kindness and let her
make her escape unnoticed.
Annie fled homeward, dashed into
No. 80, glanced wildly over the room,
then burst into tears.
ooh, dear! oh, dear"' she sobbed.
'"There was my night-dress on the bed,
and my slippers, and my bed not up
--and oh! potatoes in the skillet! Obi
ha will think I am q regular sloven!
Why couldn't it happen any other
time than when had to sleep so late
I couldn't even get my breakfast! Oh,
dear. he will never like me again! He
couldn't! after seeing such looking
room" She did not stop, to think
that her castle looked worse when
they had left than when they entered,
but as the disorder worried her SO
much she could not sit still and cry,
she began her task. 1t was some
time before the detectives
work was undone, everything in
trim order with the mattress
rolled up and the bed folded against
the wall like book cabinet, and the
few dishes washed, and the tiny stove
BACKED and the screen set around it,
and the one table covered with agaily
cloth, all of which trans
formed the kitchen and bed room into
a cosy little sitting room as though by
a fairy's hand. It was dainty little
place, nothing expensive, but exquisite
in the taste and tact displayed. The
prevailing colors were deep red and
pale blue and gold, with many neutral
tints blended in the various bits Of
fancy work. On q bracket was bit of
white statuary set on a delicate mat
ting OF the tender green leaves OF
q growing vine-the only costly ex-
travagance in the room, and Annie
we'll knew how long it took her to
save enough to buyit. She had select
ed her room for it's south window,
and therein were standing two gera-
MUM plants in full bloom, one g.
double red, and the other g. single
white flower.
AS Annie was viewing these little
luxuries with commemorate pride, and
plucking up spirits, she sud-
denly bethought her Of her stockings.
She did not remember of picking them
up and as she only had three pairs,
it was important that none OF them
should be misplaced. Therefore
she began to search diligently,
and was beginning to get tired and
puzzled in the useless search, when q
loud rap which she had heard once be-
fore at the door CAUSED her to glance
hastily in the glass and then timidly'
open the door to the knocker. TWAS
noon. The whistle had blown just a.
few minutes before, and instead OF CO.
ing to his dinner, here was Mr.. John
Dart standing at her door.
"Won't you come in?" asked Annie.
with a downcast face.
"Ihat's what I came for" respond
ed John, honestly, and in he walked.
Then he turned around, and taking
her hands In his own in the time-hon-
ored and approved fashion, he said:
Il have been thinking of you this
long while, Annie, and now I feel I cam
not wait any longer. You are alone
in the world, and am almost SO, AL
though uncle is very good. Let us
make each other happy, and have q
pretty little house ike this, With
glancing around the room with po-